Kenosha Licenses & Permits Committee members met Oct. 13 and acted on a slate of operator and business-license applications, denying several applicants based on city attorney recommendations tied to material police records or false applications, deferring others for additional documentation, and approving multiple business license transfers and event permissions.

The committee’s most contested agenda items were new operator (bartender/servers) license applications where the city attorney’s office recommended denial after applying the committee’s demerit-point tracking system. Members deferred at least two applications to allow applicants to supply missing paperwork or letters of support, and recommended denial for others that the committee said showed recent or extensive offenses. The meeting also included approvals of temporary outdoor extensions and transfers of liquor licenses between local businesses, and a recommendation to grant a probationary cabaret license and permanent outdoor extension to a downtown venue while denying the cabaret portion only if the applicant did not accept probationary terms.

Why it matters: Licenses for selling or serving alcohol and for regulated businesses (taxi drivers, secondhand dealers, massage establishments, cabaret venues) carry public-safety and neighborhood impacts. Committee recommendations go to city council for final action on many items; denials or deferrals can block employment or business operations and, conversely, approvals enable events, transfers, and new businesses to operate in Kenosha.

Key outcomes and substance

Operator licenses and applicant hearings — deferrals and denials
- Item 1 (multiple applicants): The committee voted to approve the operator applications listed with demerit-point notations from the city attorney’s report (the agenda listed Stephen Blanco, Daniel Bowman, Cassandra Duarte, Kimberly Kuenig and Autumn Ramirez with assigned point totals). The committee closed the appearance period for those applicants and approved the recommendation to grant subject to the demerit-point findings.

- Item 2 (application listed as Latoya Bradley): The city attorney recommended denial, citing a material police record and a false application. The applicant who appeared (recorded as giving the name Natalia Brannepu) said she completed required assessments and counseling but committee staff said there was no record of the assessment in the file. The committee voted to defer the application to the next regularly scheduled meeting so the applicant can provide the missing paperwork to the city attorney; the committee chair recorded one abstention during that vote.

- Item 3 (Patrice/Patricia Almingio): The attorney’s recommendation was to deny based on material police records. Committee members noted the offenses were decades old but said the ordinance counts felonies regardless of age; the committee voted to defer to the next meeting and asked the applicant to submit community references or other evidence of rehabilitation.

- Item 4 (Maribel Ramirez): The city attorney recommended denial for material police record and false application; the committee voted to recommend denial to council.

- Item 5 (Vincent Matthew Schmidt): The applicant appeared and described mitigation steps (letters of reference, business ownership, medical issues, medication). Committee members focused on a lengthy history of operating-after-revocation entries and one possession matter; a motion to recommend denial passed. This hearing was recommended to council for final action.

- Item 6 (Britney/Bridal Gleason): The city attorney recommended denial for a substantial criminal record and false application. The applicant said she is more than two years in recovery but committee members cited a heavy point total and recent offenses; committee voted to recommend denial to council.

- Item 7 (Arianna Fisher): The applicant for a taxi driver's license appeared, explained a minor speeding-related matter that resolved as a nonmoving violation, and the committee moved to recommend approval subject to documented demerit points.

Business licenses, transfers, and event permissions
- Items 8–10 (temporary outdoor extensions and a secondhand dealer license): The committee took items 8, 9 and 10 together and voted to recommend approval for Bottoms Up Ventures Inc. (temporary outdoor extension of a Class B beer/Class B liquor license for listed event dates), Kenosha Beach House LLC (temporary outdoor extension and a waiver request), and Comfort Treasures LLC (new secondhand article dealer license), noting no adverse police recommendations on those items.

- Item 11 (JG Hospitality Group LLC): Applicant answered questions about a recently vacated manager contact; committee voted to recommend approval to council.

- Items 12–13 (license transfers involving Saigon Panda and Soon Sushi Cafe): The committee discussed a planned swap of liquor/beer licenses as the businesses combine operations and voted to recommend approval, while the city attorney noted that the clerk’s office will not issue a transferred license until any required occupancy or lease documentation is in place.

- Item 14 (50 Second Midnight Bar LLC): The committee considered three related requests: a new Class B license (14a), a probationary cabaret license (14b), and a permanent outdoor extension (14c). Members split the items for separate votes: 14a (new Class B) and 14c (permanent outdoor extension) were approved as recommendations to council; the cabaret license (14b) prompted extended discussion about experience running a live-music venue and late-night hours. After debate the committee approved a probationary cabaret license (six-month probationary review) with the expectation the applicant will work with the Kenosha tavern resources and police “tavern squad” for compliance and training.

- Item 15 (new massage establishment at 3717 50 Second Street): Committee members asked for the massage therapist of record to appear and for additional background material about the proposed therapist’s current practice and the proximity of other businesses/residences. The committee voted to defer the application to the next regularly scheduled meeting to allow the applicant to supply the therapist’s presence and additional documentation.

Discussion notes and legal context
- The city attorney repeatedly referenced the municipal ordinance that establishes a demerit-point tracking system for operator licenses; that ordinance defines which offenses and time windows are counted and allows the city attorney’s office to recommend denial when the point threshold is met or when false information is found on an application. Committee members exercised discretion in multiple cases, deferring when applicants offered to supply documentation (treatment assessments, letters of support) and recommending denial where points were high or offenses recent.

- Members emphasized public-safety and neighborhood impacts, especially when considering cabaret and late-night operations. For the downtown cabaret application the committee discussed operational controls, staff uniforms (staff shirts must not be black or navy to avoid resemblance to police), parking and premises boundaries, and local resources such as the Tavern League and the police tavern squad.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendations to council or final recommendations where noted)
- Item 1 (multiple operator new licenses: Stephen Blanco; Daniel Bowman; Cassandra Duarte; Kimberly Kuenig; Autumn Ramirez): Approved (recommendation to grant subject to attorney’s demerit-point findings).
- Item 2 (Latoya Bradley / applicant identified as Natalia Brannepu): Deferred to next meeting for applicant to provide assessment/treatment documentation (committee asked applicant to deliver paperwork to city attorney); 1 recorded abstention.
- Item 3 (Patrice/Patricia Almingio): Deferred to next meeting for letters of support/references; committee cited ordinance counts for felonies.
- Item 4 (Maribel Ramirez): Recommended denial to council (material police record and false application).
- Item 5 (Vincent Matthew Schmidt): Recommended denial to council (extensive operating-after-revocation entries and related offenses).
- Item 6 (Britney/Bridal Gleason): Recommended denial to council (substantial record; recent noncompliance noted).
- Item 7 (Arianna Fisher, taxi driver license): Recommended approval subject to 10 demerit points.
- Items 8–10 (Bottoms Up Ventures Inc. temporary outdoor extensions; Kenosha Beach House LLC temporary outdoor extension/waiver; Comfort Treasures LLC secondhand dealer license): Approved (no adverse police recommendations).
- Item 11 (JG Hospitality Group LLC, probationary liquor license at 2324 18th St., Suites B & C): Approved (recommendation to council).
- Items 12–13 (66 Company 2 LLC / Soon Sushi Cafe LLC license transfers between 3105 80th St. and 2150 4th St.): Approved (recommendations to council; clerk will not issue a transferred license until any required lease/occupancy documentation is submitted).
- Item 14a (50 Second Midnight Bar LLC new Class B license): Approved (recommendation to council).
- Item 14b (probationary cabaret license for same venue): Approved as a probationary cabaret license with six-month review and expectation of engagement with tavern resources and police enforcement team.
- Item 14c (permanent outdoor extension for the same venue): Approved (recommendation to council).
- Item 15 (massage establishment at 3717 50 Second Street): Deferred to next regularly scheduled meeting for the therapist of record to appear and for additional documentation.

What comes next
- Committee recommendations that require council action will be scheduled on the next city council consent or regular agenda as appropriate. Deferred applications will be placed on the committee’s next meeting agenda after applicants provide the requested documentation to the city attorney or clerk’s office.

Speakers and appearances included applicants listed on the agenda, committee members identified in the record as Chairperson Kennedy, the vice chair, and committee members identified in the transcript as Person Harper and Person Dyson, the city attorney’s office and assistant attorneys, and named applicants or business representatives who appeared in person.

Ending: The committee adjourned after taking the actions above and reminding applicants that committee recommendations are forwarded to council where final approvals or denials will be processed.